Antarctic reindeer

Reindeer are native to the Arctic and its surroundings, but whalers brought some reindeer to the Antarctic in the early twentieth century. Once established in their new range, the herds grew quickly and became highly destructive to the Antarctic habitat. This article explores the adaptations that allowed reindeer to flourish so far from home, and the reasons why it became necessary to eradicate them

Reindeer are large mammals with a natural range spread around the North Pole, spanning North America, Europe and Asia (see Figure 1). In the Arctic, winter temperatures regularly drop below −40°C, but reindeer are well adapted to cope with this. Reindeer coats have two layers — a thick woolly undercoat provides insulation close to the skin, while a top layer of long, hollow hairs traps air. This layer of air retains the reindeers’ body heat, and also helps them to float when swimming across rivers. The coat is so insulating that reindeer can lie on the Arctic snow without melting it.

Adaptation